


something sweeter than proving a point

by WhimsicalMercy



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Biphobia, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, Family Reunions, Homophobia, M/M, Male Friendship, Meeting the Parents, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:13:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28910658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhimsicalMercy/pseuds/WhimsicalMercy
Summary: Wilbur loved his family, he truly did, but they were tiring people to be around and interact with. They didn't understand his job online nor did they fully understand the fact that he liked men just as much as he liked women. It was exhausting and it's why he moved out and kept his distance. Family reunions weren't his thing due to his conflict with other parts of his family, but he knew his mother and father missed him, knew his niece missed him. He wanted to see them, he just didn't want them to push off his achievements and identity so easily. Maybe that's why he told his mother that he had aboyfriend.He very clearly did not have a boyfriend and found himself scrambling. Shockingly, a good friend of his stepped in and offered to save his skin. Wilbur was already known as a simp for George so playing the role of a doting boyfriend would be easy, right? It wasn't like anything would change between them when they shared his crappy childhood bedroom and exchanged kisses and held hands.Right?
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound/Wilbur Soot, Wilbur Soot & Phil Watson
Comments: 90
Kudos: 253





	1. to smile while you suffocate

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is set in an IRL setting and I would like to preface this by saying this is not how I imagine Wilbur's/George's/Any CC mentioned home life to be. Any family members are original characters made for the purpose of this fic and only for this fic. Another thing I would like to mention is that I will not discuss or mention the current pandemic going on. It's not due to me not taking it seriously, it's more so that my writing is a place of escape for me. I'm constantly worried about the pandemic due to working, I don't want to have to worry about it when I'm writing gay fanfiction.
> 
> All characters used in this are based purely on their fictional personas. If any of the creators decide they are not comfortable with fanworks, this work will be taken down immediately to respect their wishes. I also ask that this work is not linked anywhere or intentionally shared with any of the creators mentioned.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur gets a phone call from his mother and makes a LOT of bad decisions. What else is new for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh okay first long work and it's Georgebur. I doubt it's gonna pick up much attention but I still hope that everyone who does read it sticks around. I don't have a solid amount of chapters quite yet but it should be between 10-15 chapters and I do have a bunch already replanned and outlined so yeah... 
> 
> TW for this chapter: Mild biphobia/homophobia, trust issues, a fear of rejection

Wilbur wasn’t quite sure how he expected any other way a phone call with his mother could go.

He had been in the middle of going through a video one of his editors edited for him and making adjustments when his phone rang, the sound piercing and jolting him out of the focus he had been in for a few hours. He considered letting it ring until he noticed the contact and froze. His mother calling was not exactly common. She didn’t quite approve of his lifestyle choices, nor did she fully accept his bisexuality and it had put a bit of a strain onto their relationship. He loved his mom and she loved him, but it was just difficult sometimes. He wracked his brain for any significant events that could have sparked this: nobody he knew of had died or had been sick, his sister was already married and would contact him personally if she was pregnant again. Everything seemed to be just fine in his family even if he didn’t keep up with his extended family. 

Swallowing tightly, he paused the playlist he had going on in the background and scooped up his phone, tapping the little green icon with his thumb. “Hello?” He answered, cringing at how anxious his voice sounded. Thankfully, his mother never picked up on those sort of things– _she never had been,_ he thought bitterly– and just started off on her tangent. Asking how he had been, telling him something about his father, talking about their random neighbors and family members and some of Wilbur’s old high school friends. He _hm_ ’d and _ah_ ’d and even threw in a few _yeah mum_ ’s when needed, settling his phone between his cheek and shoulder as he returned to checking over the subtitles.

He did try to listen, he truly did, but it was very hard to listen about what his cousins were doing when he knew that a) they didn’t like him and b) he didn’t like them. Coming out had not been pleasant with his family and he had known it wasn’t going to be even before he did it. There was a reason he waited until he was in his own apartment with his source of income. It actually went better than expected and he wasn’t blatantly disowned. Truth be told, his sexuality was just ignored by his parents. He wasn’t averse to settling down with a woman or having a girlfriend, he’s actually had a couple before, he just didn’t want the fact that he also liked men to be so casually brushed under the rug.

Not to mention, his parents’ issue with his job; they had been over the moon when his sister married Ben, who was an accountant of all things. Not that Ben wasn’t a great guy, he actually got along with his sister’s husband and the guy enjoyed what he did, but it was annoying to constantly hear, “Well at the bank _Ben_ works at-” In his brother-in-law’s defense, he did try to insist that his job wasn’t anything special and that Wilbur’s own job was important as well. Did any of that actually convince his parents? No, but it did make Wilbur happy that he had someone on his side.

Even now, his mum was talking about something Ben and Alisa were doing and he was trying to be a good brother and listen, but he truly did not care much about what his mother thought about the drama in _Ben’s_ office. It took a few minutes, but she seemed to catch on to his distracted humming and absentminded response. A long sigh filtered over the crackling connection and he heard a grainy, “Will.” Taking his fingers off of his mouse, he grabbed his phone again, holding it to his other ear instead.

“I’m sorry, Mum, I am listening, I swear. I’m just..” He paused here, unsure of how to explain what he was doing. If he tried to explain that he was working, his mother would claim that no, he really wasn’t working because what he did wasn’t a _job_ and he really didn’t want to sit through another one of his mom’s hour-long lectures about how he made money. He shrugged despite her not being able to see him through their phone call. “I’m going over something an editor sent me, sorry.” He was being honest when he apologized at least. As much as his and his mother’s relationship was a bit broken, he didn’t want to be rude. Common courtesy and all that.

She just hummed in response, tone low and disapproving. He winced at the sound. “It’s fine Will, I know how much this video thing–” he flinches at how she says _video thing_ like it's poison and it's meaningless nonsense when it's not, not to him at least, but it is to her “– means to you. Doesn’t mean you should go ignoring your mother though.” She scolds, but her tone sounds light again and a pressure he hadn’t known existed lifts off of his chest. “Speaking of, you are going to come next week?” She asked and his brain short-circuited. Next week, what was happening next week? He frowned and reached for his mouse again with his free hands, pulling up his calendar. 

Before he could get the calendar up, his mother decided that his soft “Um..” wasn’t good enough of an answer. She sighed again, clicking her tongue impatiently. “Everyone is getting together for the first time in a while and you’ve missed the last couple get-togethers...” She trailed off and he rolled his head back, staring up at the ceiling tiredly. He dragged his thumb and forefinger over his eyes, pinching his nose.

“I know, mum, I’m sorry. This summer has been a little hectic..” Hectic wasn’t even the best way to phrase it. The Dream SMP blew up, he began writing a script for it and his channel just grew and grew. It didn’t help that he had MCC every few weeks and he never wanted to skip out on those. They were too good of a time, to the point that he played one on his trip to Germany with Niki. It was better than sitting around with his family, only having pleasant conversations with his sister, brother-in-law, and some of his cousin’s kids who liked video games.

His mother tutted again and he bit his lip, staring hard at his own face on one of his screens. “Well, I think you should join us this time.” That wasn’t a question or request: _it was a demand._ He felt exhaustion build up in him and ran through excuses and lies he could say to get out of this. Days on end of just sitting in his old room and watching his friends’ streams on a shitty laptop while his family laughed at his job and hobbies in the living room did not sound like a great time to him. He wondered if he could claim Phil was dying, surely his mother would believe that. “You haven’t been around much, your father and I aren’t getting younger. I’m sure Rue would also like to see her Uncle Will.”

Ah, his mother knew where to hit him. He loved his niece to bits and he rarely ever got to see her. The most he got was little hellos over phone calls with his sister. She had to be 4 now if he was remembering correctly. He sighed a little. “Alright, alright. I visit for a bit. Stay for a week or so.” He offered. Immediately, he yanked the phone away from his ear as an excited squeal filled the air. He rolled his eyes in response, trying not to groan. At least he hadn’t agreed to the yearly family vacation, which was usually two or three weeks long. 

“I’ll get your room ready then!” She paused and he waited for the catch. “Maybe this time you can bring a lovely lady with you?” _There it was._ It took all the restraint in his body not to just hang up on his mother, throw his phone against the wall, slam his head onto the desk, or all three in that order. “What about that lovely girl from Germany? Niki, was it?” He rubbed over his face.

“Niki is just a friend of mine, Mum, we’ve talked about this.”

“Oh, I know, I know, but she just seems so sweet.” She went off on a rant about how he was a sweet boy and that it would be very easy for him to find a nice girl to date and he ran a hand through his hair. Anger bubbled in his stomach. Yes he was attracted to girls and yes he had no issues with dating them, but it was more so the fact that she was ignoring the concept of him ending up with another man. He found men just as attractive as women and it had taken him so long to accept that due to just this reason.

He let her ramble on, his jaw locking. It wasn’t until his mother said that it was such a shame he didn’t have a proper job since job stability would be very important if he wanted to get a wife that he snapped. “You know, mum, I have been meaning to bring someone to meet you guys.” _What are you doing stop talking you idiot you’re not dating anyone–_

“Oh goodness, finally! Like I said, I’m not getting any younger. I’ll be sure to clean up your room nicely then. Is there any food that she-” 

_Do not say what I think you’re going to say._

“Uh, he, Mum. I have a boyfriend.”

_WILL YOU IDIOT YOU DON’T HAVE A BOYFRIEND._

The silence that sat between him and his mother was long and it seems that the filter between his brain and mouth didn’t seem to be functioning since he just _kept. Talking!_ “Yeah, I’ve been, uh, meaning to tell you guys but we’re both so busy all the time.” He rambled on, even as he dug his fingers into his scalp. He needed to shut his mouth and stop talking, he was only making this worse. He was already too deep now. Not only did he have to bring someone home, but it had to be a boyfriend. He wondered if he could find someone off of some shitty dating app that would be willing to do something like this.

His mum let out a little “Oh.” and paused again. She obviously hadn’t expected him to say _that_ despite knowing that he was very much bisexual. “Oh, well then I will get your room together for _him._ ” There was an awkward pause and he let out a soft _mhm_ in response to her statement. The heavy air seemed to swallow him whole and he used one hand to type out a message to the first person on his Discord list, demanding they call him now. Reaching down, he ripped his headset out of the speakers so the sound would echo in his room. Thank god the person he messaged was Phil, mostly due to the fact that they had been arguing over something stupid earlier, because as soon as the message was sent, Discord started ringing. As expected of Phil. He grinned and clenched his fist, mouthing _‘Yes!’_ to nobody.

He gasped in faux shock and clicked his tongue, rustling a bunch of random papers and stuff on his desk as if he were looking for something. “Oh god, I’m so sorry. I forgot that I was supposed to be talking with Phil about some script changes, I’ve gotta go so we can get this done before his stream starts.” He made sure his voice sounded as stressed and apologetic as he could. Crossing his fingers, he stared hard at where Phil’s contact was still up on his screen.

He got another disappointed tut and clenched his fist, this time in anger. “Yes, of course, go do… whatever you do. Send me a message of your…” She hesitated here, “... boyfriend’s favorite foods. I love you.” The last sentence was soft, gentle, and he swallowed tightly. Part of him wanted to come clean now; it wouldn’t be hard, he could just admit now that he didn’t have a boyfriend and that he was just tired of his sexuality, his job, and his hobbies being so disregarded. He was tired of everything he actually was being swept under the rug in favor of this idealistic Will that his mom so desperately wanted him to be.

Instead, he forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah, Mum, love you too. I’ll talk to you soon.”

_Click._

He wished he had a moment to sit and just think about the stupid decisions he just made, but Phil was not hanging up and he doubted he’d get away with denying the call. Not with the plain message of _‘Call me now’_ he had given his older friend. He set down his phone and picked up his headset, plugging it back into his computer. Sitting down, he slipped in his headphones and picked up the call. “Hey, listen, I know that sounded bad–”

“You _think?!_ All I got was a message saying to call you and then you didn’t fucking pick up for like a whole minute!”

“– but Phil, you will not believe the dumb shit I just told my mother.” They were talking over each other, each equally exasperated. They fell silent after finishing their sentences and the quiet holds for maybe three seconds before they burst into laughter. It’s so achingly familiar and the previous anxiety he felt from his conversation was washed away with Phil’s giggles and cackles. He slumped back into his chair and a smile curled on his face. Just listening to his friend lightened his mood from the predicament he had gotten himself into.

Phil finally sighed and he heard his friend’s knuckles pop. “Okay, what was I saving you from?” Phil asked and he groaned in response, heat washing over his face. He buried his face into his hands as the conversation with his mother echoed in his ears. Really, a boyfriend? Where was he going to find a boyfriend so quickly? One he has supposedly been in a relationship with for a while now. He not only needed to find a good actor but someone he could quickly bond with as well. He was such a moron sometimes. He grumbled his answer into his palm and Phil paused. “What?” He asked and Wilbur picked his head off of his hands.

“So my family is having a get together next week,” He paused, listening to Phil’s soft hum of acknowledgment, “and my mum wouldn’t shut up about me getting a girlfriend and bringing her home and that if I wanted to have a wife in the future, I would need a _proper_ job.” He paused here and a smirk crept across his face at the scoff from across the discord call. 

Sure enough, when Phil spoke up, he sounded offended. “Your mum does know that… you know someone who got married… and does streaming full time… and met their wife on their stream, right?” He had moved closer to the mic, voice low, and Wilbur burst into laughter again. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it off of his forehead.

“She doesn’t care how many people got married through streaming. She’s not going to think I have a real job and she’s never going to drop me getting a girlfriend even though I have been very clear she may end up with another son-in-law.” He let out a huff of air, his curls bouncing a bit from the air. “So, um, so I- Well I told her that I would… be introducing someone to my family?” He giggled nervously and Phil made a low noise.

“You didn’t.”

“And I kind of told her it was a guy so now I have to bring a boyfriend over?”

_“Will!”_

The exasperation was loud and clear in Phil’s voice and he groaned, slumping down again. “Listen, I know I fucked up, I don’t need you telling me that, but now I have two options: Find a boyfriend or confess that I lied. To my mother.” He listened as Phil cackled, glaring hard at the screen where their call was. It wasn’t a video call, but he was sure Phil could sense his irritation. It was a mutual understanding, one built up out of their friendship and bond. 

There was a brief sigh and Wilbur could sense the lecture incoming. Phil would probably use his Disappointed Parent Voice that he had down pat, which was unfair considering Phil was not a dad yet. “So… You’re going to be coming clean, right?” He was asked and he went quiet for a moment. He knew Phil could practically read his mind because not even a second passed before Phil sighed again. _"Will.”_ He pressed and Wilbur found himself giggling nervously.

Half of him knew Phil was right. He couldn’t lie to his family, couldn’t bring some random guy to meet his family. He wondered how it would go when he told his mom that he and this random guy broke up, just to get out of it. Life wasn’t fanfiction, he wouldn’t be falling in love with who he brought home. They would act like a cute couple for nearly a week and then go their separate ways and Wilbur would probably get stuck with the lecture that his failed relationship with a boy was why he needed a nice wife.

The other half of him wanted to be so petty though. He wanted to walk into his childhood home with a boyfriend, even if it was fake, and introduce a guy as his partner. He wanted to see the hesitance on his parents’ face, see the awkwardness in their shoulders. He wanted them to second guess every rude comment, every heteronormative thought of him. Could he end up with a pretty wife? Yes, but he wanted them to really understand that he could very easily end up with a handsome husband.

Phil took his silence and let out a groan, making him huff in response. “I know it sounds dumb, but it could get them off of my back for once.” He explained and his friend chuckled a little, the discord line crackling with the noise. “I’m just…” He paused and swallowed. He felt raw right now as if someone had opened him up from the inside and was looking at everything that made him _him_. It was overwhelming, but silence echoed over the line. He knew Phil was waiting patiently and was letting him take the time to think.

A soft breath passed through his lips as he ran a hand through his bangs. “I’ve told you about everything going on with them and I’m just tired of everything I say or do being taken with a grain of salt.” He slumps back in his chair, head tilting up so he could stare at the ceiling pitifully. Phil hummed in thought and he could already hear the disappointment in his friend’s voice. He just knew Phil was going to tut and that he would say something like _“Will, that’s so dumb. Your parents just want the best for you and now you’re lying to them what kind of son-”_

“I guess we gotta find you a boyfriend then.” Phil’s real voice cut off the thoughts in his head and he blinked a little. The stark contrast of hearing Phil’s actual voice made him realize the evil one in his head was his own. There was a wave of guilt rolling over him at Phil’s easy agreement; he should’ve known truth be told. Phil would never say such cruel things to him, hell, to anyone. Asking Phil to be mean would be like asking Dream to stop worrying about if they were taking the things he said during plot streams on the SMP seriously. Impossible.

Phil let out another hum, clicking around on his end of the call. They sat in silence for a moment and Wilbur figured the decision was over, returning to his work when Phil piped up again. “Do you know anyone who would do it as a favor to a friend or are you going to use a dating site?” He asked and Wilbur shrugged, his shirt shifting with the movement. He opened his mouth to speak, the words dancing on his lips when Phil began cackling.

Confusion filled Wilbur’s being and there was a huff of irritation at the joke he wasn’t being told. Shifting in his spot and leaning forward, he whined. _“Phil.”_ His high pitched tone caused another round of hysterical giggles and, despite being the butt of a joke he didn’t actually know, he still smiled. Just hearing his friend laugh so hard brightened his day even further, the round rolling over him in waves. He chucked a little, Phil’s laugh a little too contagious. They were both giggling soon and it started a feedback loop; Wilbur was laughing due to Phil and Phil started laughing because Wilbur was laughing along.

When they finally settled down, Phil took in a deep breath, coughing a little. “So I was thinking of you and, like, who you know really well and who lives, you know, in the UK. And I don’t know most of your mates that aren’t online so you know who my brain immediately thought of?”

Wilbur played into Phil’s guessing game, a smile still spread across his face. “Hmm… Who?” 

Phil let out another cackle. “George, ‘cause people call you a George simp.” There was a brief pause before Phil spoke again. “They’re not wrong though.” He teased and Wilbur broke into giggles again. He shook his head.

“George and I do live in Brighton, but I couldn’t ask him that! To be honest, him being a streamer and video maker would absolutely _enrage_ my mum. Do you know how fucking hilarious that would be?” They both let out loud laughs at that, Wilbur’s shoulders shaking at each intake of air. He shook his head. “But no, I can’t just ask George to do that.” He paused and listened as Phil leaned in close to his mic, most likely to suggest another person. “Or Scott or anyone else!” He cut his friend off, listening to a faked sigh. “How would I even start that conversation? I’ll find someone on a dating app or something. Maybe pay someone.” 

Phil just laughed and pressed his lips against the mic to say, “Son, do not bring a prostitute home to your mother.” They both cracked up again after that and moved on.

* * *

It was a little less than a week out from the reunion and Wilbur realized that he hadn’t even thought about finding someone to bring home when his mother sent him a text. He had been on a call with a bunch of his friends while Tommy was streaming when he received the _“Just finished cleaning up your room! Can’t wait to see you and meet your partner! :) <3”_ text from his mother. He froze, going silent as he read the text again and looked at the attached photo of his childhood bedroom all cleaned and dusted. He could see everything in its place, including an old guitar of his, and it looked like he hadn’t left almost.

He was shaken from his thoughts by a loud shriek from Tubbo and brushed off his weird pause when asked. He was glad nobody seemed to notice or, if they did, it wasn’t pointed out. He didn’t doubt that Tommy noticed it, the kid was eerily smart when it came to picking up on people’s behaviors, but he kept his mouth shut. Wilbur just knew Tommy would be messaging him later. 

He carried on, even as his mind raced. He had less than a week to find someone to agree to his crazy plan, make a fake backstory, and get to know them enough for it to look natural. Either that or he made some sort of excuse to get out of it. His mind went back to his first idea. Phil would be okay with dying, right? For this cause? The rest of the call was spent in a daze and he vaguely remembers saying goodbye as people started to slowly trickle out. When he was pretty sure it was just him in the call by himself, he tilted his head back and groaned into the emptiness of his bedroom. “I’m so fucked…” He mumbled to himself.

“Are you now?” He nearly jumped out of his seat at the sound of a familiar voice, laced with warmth and the trace of a shit-eating smile of the other’s lips. Despite not seeing it, Wilbur could clearly see the smirk on George’s face, pink lips curled up, head tilted slightly to one side. It was obnoxious, being able to imagine the look on his friend’s face. Nobody else said anything and Wilbur glanced over at his monitor to look at the VC. It was just the two of them, alone in a call. “So, why are you fucked, as you said?” George asked.

Even over Discord, Wilbur could hear the subtle way that George’s voice shifted; it was slightly higher than usual and had a bit of a dip in the middle. He sounded so concerned and Wilbur’s chest clenches at the affection that rushes through him. The small voice in the back of his mind is screaming at him to explain, to soothe George’s worries. “Nothing big, I swear.” He tries to explain, mind scrambling for the proper words to explain his situation.

George waits, though there’s an air of impatience. George shifts in his seat and Wilbur can hear the rustle of fabric over the crackly static. It scrambles his thoughts more, knowing George was waiting on his reply, and he rushes to say something. “My mum is hosting another reunion and I told them that I would bring a boyfriend with me and now I have four days left and _obviously_ I don’t have a boyfriend so… I’m kinda fucked.” He shrugged weakly.

George snorted out a laugh. “Why did you tell them you had a boyfriend when you don’t?” Wilbur sat in silence long enough for George to think he somehow left or disconnected. “Wilbur?”

“Yeah, no, I’m still here, it’s just complicated, you know?” He murmured. He felt a little put out at the whole situation. He also felt fucking _lonely_. It was a little painful sometimes, most of his friends being online and his IRL friends all easily finding relationships or being content with one night stands. He wasn’t someone who depended on a relationship, knew that he didn’t _need_ one, but it would still be nice. It would be nice to be able to go on dates, even if they were online, or be able to send cheesy memes. It was more of a disappointing thing than it was sad. 

George just let out a soft _Hmm_ and he took that as a cue to continue. “My relationship has been sort of rough, they’re not exactly the most supportive of me being a content creator and they aren’t sure how to deal with me being bi, so I guess I was just… fed up with those parts of me being ignored. When my mum started talking about bringing a girlfriend home, I just… lied.” His admission was quiet and it hung heavy in the air. George didn’t interject and they sat in silence for a moment before the other creator spoke.

George was hesitant, but he still asked, “So you don’t have anyone to take with you? Like, as your boyfriend?”

He huffed. “Yeah, obviously. If I actually had a boyfriend, I wouldn’t be completely and utterly fucked.” He glared at the screen, despite this entire thing being his own fault. He could hardly blame George for his utter idiocy nor could he blame the other for his messy family life. There was the sound of George popping his lips over the call, a soft little _pap pap pap_ and Wilbur felt himself relax a little from his defensive state. “I’m sorry, I’m just a moron and it’s kind of frustrating me right now. I’m gonna have to make some excuse to not go.” As he laughed flatly, he rolled his head back. “Wonder if Phil would mind dying.”

George laughed lightly at that and the sound rang pleasantly in his ears. It filled the spike of ice in his chest and washed through his entire body. The feeling was comparable to drinking hot chocolate after walking through the snow, warming every bit of him. He smiled a bit in response, the air much lighter than it had been before. A weight was pulled off his chest and he pulled one of his legs up to his chest, his chin resting on top of it.

The laughter tapered off and there was another pregnant pause. Wilbur was just about to speak again when George took a deep, unsteady breath. He froze, clamping his mouth shut so he didn’t interrupt. He felt himself holding his breath as if the smallest noise or disturbance would stop George from speaking. The pause extended for a bit longer before, finally, George spoke up. His voice was quiet, small, and Wilbur strained to hear it, leaning forward as if that would make it better. “What if I went with you? Like, as your guest?” The breath Wilbur was holding left his lungs in one go.

_“What?!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of chapter! A fairly simple starter chapter that I hope everyone enjoys! Also, if anyone has name suggestions for some of Wilby's extended family, plz hmu I'm really about to pick the top boys/girls names for his cousins and stuff lol
> 
> I also have the outline/plot for chapter two done so it shouldn't be long until it's up!!


	2. if you're feeling lonely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best thing about being an adult is being able to make dumb decisions for yourself. Even if your friends disagree with you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took a bit! It's another pretty boring chapter with a lot of dialogue but we're almost to, like, the actual plot and fake dating action I promise!
> 
> Also thank you to everyone who's expressed interest in this fic! I'm having a lot of fun (and in a lot of _pain_ but good pain) writing it!
> 
> TW: Mentions of homophobia/biphobia

George quickly began to explain after Wilbur’s exclamation. “I mean- I wouldn’t want to intrude or anything and I get if you want to just come clean, but..” He trailed off a little and Wilbur hung onto the end of that statement. There was a long silence, one punctuated by a soft tapping sound from the other side of the call. Seconds passed and he suddenly realized that George wasn’t going to continue unless prompted to.

Wilbur cleared his throat slightly and shifted in his seat. “But?” He pushed, voice quieter. He dragged the end of the word out slightly and felt his eyebrows raise pointedly even with his camera off. Curiosity pulled at his thoughts and he wondered what was going on in George’s head. It wasn’t as if this was a bit of a joke, George sounded so painfully _genuine_ about his offer. He sounded serious on his offer and Wilbur’s brain didn’t quite know what to do with it, even with the ‘but’ tacked on.

The pause dragged on until George huffed loudly. Even without their cameras on, he could practically see the hair on George’s forehead lifting up with the pressure and he felt a small smile tug on his cheeks at the visual. “ _But,_ ” George started, indignation heavy in his tone, “I just… I don’t like the idea of my friends having to deal with a situation like that. I know what it's like, being pushed off to the side because of what or, uh, who you like.” With each word, George’s voice grows smaller and smaller and it tugs at Wilbur’s heart.

“I just… I don’t want you to feel like you _have_ to do anything to help me.” Wilbur hurried out, fiddling with the sleeves of his brown jacket. He had already dragged Phil into his issues just by talking about, now he was dragging George into it. He swallowed tightly, the collar of his turtleneck feeling much tighter than it had been before and he reached up to tug it away from his skin.

George snorted, but he pushed on. “I’m not kidding! This is my mess and I shouldn’t be dragging my friends into it. I should just go on Tinder and pay a guy I don’t know to just come with me instead of forcing you to feel obligated-” He rambled on anxiously, lips stumbling over the words. He was speaking faster than he was thinking but he just felt so guilty. George didn’t need to sit here and deal with the problems he created for himself. It wasn’t George’s fault, it wasn’t Phil’s and yet he still pulled everyone into it. They could’ve gone on blissfully unaware of it, but he ruined that for them.

George cut him off with a stern tone. “Wilbur, no. I’m not kidding. I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want to help. I mean it. I’ll come with you, we’ll play the role of an irritatingly cute couple for a few days-”

“A week.”

“- a week then, and we’ll go back to normal after. You… Your parents shouldn’t just disregard your job and sexuality like that. You love your job and it is a part of who you are; you like making videos and writing songs and playing games with everyone. They need to accept that being a full-time creator is what you decided on. Just like they need to accept the fact that you’re bisexual.” George finished, breaths coming out in short puffs. “I’m fine playing your boyfriend if you’re fine with me doing it.”

They sat in silence and Wilbur digested what George had said. He felt the same, wanting to just prove a point to his parents. The more he thought, the better of an idea it seemed, and the more guilt pooled in his stomach. He really shouldn’t drag George into this stupid situation. He should do as he said or come clean to his mother. (Saying that Phil was dying was also still on the list of options, he wouldn’t forget that one.) He felt like Eve in the garden and George was the devil whispering in his ear, enticing him with a solution that could work out if they just did it properly.

It was ridiculous: them? Acting like a couple? They’d have to kiss and hold hands and share a bed. Could they even do that and stay friends? He swallowed. “And we’ll be friends at the end of it still? Cause we’re going to have to kiss and share a bed and act like a couple. Paying someone or convincing some random guy I met to go along with it and them ditching me at the end would be...” _Awful, but bearable,_ “... fine, but you’re my friend. I don’t want things to be weird just because we acted like we’re in love. _If_ we do this.” He emphasizes the if regardless of them both knowing that he was actually considering this mad plan.

That earned another snort and a soft laugh, but he simply frowned more. Finally, the chuckling stopped. “Of course, we can easily do that. If I thought we wouldn’t still be friends, I wouldn’t offer.” He pointed out again and Wilbur found his eyes rolling. It was a familiar form of teasing and he found his shoulders relaxing from where they had been tensed. He leaned back in his chair again, the back molding to his back underneath his weight.

He could not believe what he was considering, what he was going to say. He had to be on a whole different level of crazy at this point and he wondered if Tommy had finally succeeded in driving him up the wall. “Do you… I don’t know, have any idea what we would tell my parents?” He finally said and George sighed in relief. There was a soft thumping and Wilbur could only figure that George had slumped back in his own computer chair, in a position similar to himself.

The previous tense atmosphere washed away and they both dissolved into giggles. It was stupid and mostly out of reflex. When they settled, George coughed lightly. “It should be something believable, not too complicated.” Wilbur hummed, pulling up a new document for him to type into. He glanced over at the Discord chat they were into before suggesting they move to a private call so someone- _Tommy_ \- didn’t interrupt and force them to awkwardly explain. Once they had moved into their private messages, George started again “Let’s start with the basics, how did we meet?”

Wilbur found himself staring at the document like he did when he wrote the SMP script. The text cursor at the top of the page flashed at him, tormenting him from the white page. He scowled at it like that would force the ideas from his head. The hopeless romantic in him wanted something extravagant and outlandish, something really romantic and cliche. He knew that would be really stupid to do and it would be easiest to stick to something simple, but he couldn’t think about what would work that would be realistic enough to fool his parents.

His silence was long enough that George scoffed softly. “Okay, let’s add some truth into it.” Wilbur hummed in response, leaning his arms against the desk to hover his fingers over his keyboard. “We both stream, so how about: we both met online, became friends and since we both lived in Brighton, we decided to meet for some pizza as a joke with our mutual friend. Low and behold we got along really well in real life… and took it to the next level.” Wilbur hummed, even if it was too close to reality for his liking. He would’ve liked this to be more… distant, spaced out from their lives online, but doing that would leave room for error. He typed in the basic points, adding in dates and such when needed.

“You’re good at this. Have you fake dated before, Gogy?” He noted, voice light. He doubted it, but it wouldn’t surprise him at the same time. He pouted and feigned a sniffle, leaning closer to the mic for his next choice of words. “Am I gonna have to fight for your fake affection?” He said, voice overly exaggerated. He grinned as George burst into giggles, reaching for his water bottle to take a long gulp.

George’s laughs trail off a little, even if he still sounds delighted. “Oh, 100%. According to that one fanfiction site, I’m also fake dating Dream and Sapnap, so watch out. At least..” He trails off, “I think there are fanfictions like that.” Their laughter fills the call as they go back and forth, naming the most cliche fanfiction tropes they could think of. It filled up a good five minutes of their time and, by the time they returned to work, Wilbur’s cheeks ached.

He returned to the document, staring hard at the notes he had written down. “What if my parents bring up our friends?” He mused before his eyes widened. “Or even our fans? I doubt they would but recently my mum specifically has been a wild card in terms of all this…” Truthfully, he hadn’t expected his mother to allow him to bring his boyfriend with him. He had expected her to say something like _“Oh, well, then why don’t we meet him another time when the whole family isn’t going to be here”_ and then forget about it completely. 

George clicked his tongue, humming. A dark blue cursor popped up and Wilbur briefly hovered his mouse over it. He didn’t know why he did, the only person with access to it was George, but he still checked just to make sure that it was _‘George Davidson’_ on the document and not some random person. George typed in a few things and Wilbur let out a short laugh as _‘SIMP’_ was typed at the top of the document. “We can just say that we keep it private. If our fans found out I’m sure there’d be some kind of war, you know how certain people can be.” George pointed out.

Wilbur hummed again. “And our friends?”

“They should know. Maybe not all of them, but our close ones would definitely know. It would be weird if people like Tommy and Dream didn’t know. We can say we told our close friends.” Close friends. Wilbur made a list of names, just to keep it straight (ha!) in his brain: Tommy, Phil, Techno, Tubbo ( _because if Tommy knew anything, Tubbo knew it too_ ), Dream, and Sapnap. After a moment, he added BadBoyHalo’s name with a question mark at the end. George’s cursor moved and erased the question mark for him.

Wilbur stretched his legs beneath his desk, toes bumping the router as he did. “Okay, okay, this is good. Now, just to touch all of our bases, and to keep our friendship a friendship, we should probably have a list of boundaries. Or some bullet points?” He wasn’t sure how he was actually going to function through this. Even if he didn’t like George in a relationship way, he still thought George was handsome. He was the exact definition of a ‘pretty boy’ and his dark hair, dark eyes, and small stature put him definitively the area of men that fit Wilbur’s ‘type’. What could he say, he was a simple man. (He could still hear Schlatt laughing at him for liking twinks.)

“Sure thing.” was all that George said and a spike of irritation shot through Wilbur. Really? Would he really have to start this? He waited another moment before he groaned.

“Want me to start?”

“Do you have any boundaries you’d like to mention first?” He could just see the expression on George’s face: a cheeky grin, one eyebrow quirked up, head tilted just slightly. He rolled his eyes and forced his brain to function. They had already hugged when they met up and flirting wasn’t exactly hard, seeing as they jokingly flirted with each other constantly. Wilbur had been a theatre kid so kissing someone he wasn’t romantically involved with wasn’t new for him, but he really didn’t want to make George uncomfortable.

The silence they sat in was uncomfortable while he slowly worked through his thoughts. There was the sound of a throat clearing and Wilbur found himself jumping slightly. “Well, uh, truthfully, I don’t really care. Um, obviously we have to act like a couple so PDA is basically expected. Acting is a thing that we are… capable of,” _Sometimes,_ “so like our backstory let’s keep it simple.”

“Sounds like a plan. Hugs and hand-holding are a given right?” Wilbur let out a hum in agreement. “And we’ll have to share a bed.” Another soft hum from Wilbur. “What about… Kissing? I feel like that’s something they’ll expect to catch at some point..” George sounds hesitant to ask and he finds himself shifting in his seat. He adjusts the headset on his head and moves close to the mic.

“Awwww… Do you want kisses, Gogy?” He uses the tone he’d use with his niece, baby-talking his friend and earning a choke and a laugh. “Awwww Gogy wants kisses! I’ll give you kisses, don’t worry Gogy!” He keeps the bit going, warmth blooming in his chest at the sound of George’s laughter. He puckered his lips and made kissy noises into the mic, his lips being so close that it made the noise loud and staticy. George just laughed harder.

They finally wound themselves down again and George shrugged. “I guess we’ll kiss when it comes around to it. Worst case scenario, we lie our asses off and tell them I’m anxious about PDA.” Wilbur let out a choked laugh. George wasn’t one for words, but he was open with his touches. The concept of him being _shy_ was hilarious. He wonders if it’s because they had easily slipped into a friendly dynamic when they met, pressing together in a hug that had George on his toes and bumping their shoulders together.

“What? You don’t think that’d work?”

“I mean- We could probably convince them that you’re shy if you’re a good enough actor.” 

George scoffed. “I’m a _great actor_ , what are you talking about?”

Wilbur raised an eyebrow. “Oh, is that why you slept through all of our scripted SMP events?” The joke came easy, especially after the conversation they just had. He didn’t mean it and it was well known that George wasn’t as into the roleplay aspect of the server that some other members (himself included) grew to adore. It wasn’t anything new nor was it something they really cared about. So long as everyone had fun, nobody really cared who was deep into the lore and who wasn’t. They were just a group of friends dicking around on Minecraft.

George gasped in faux offense and he laughed at the over-exaggerated sound. If George turned his camera on, Wilbur was certain he would be clutching at his chest like a woman clutching at her pearls. “I personally think I did well during the dethroning event.” George pointed out and Wilbur had to agree with a soft hum.

“You got me there. _‘Just say you hate me’_ ” he raised the pitch of his voice, his throat protesting as he did so but it was well worth the giggle he earned, “was really good.” It was a little obvious that George hadn’t expected him to say that because the other’s giggles turned bashful; he wondered if George was blushing, high on his cheeks, skin a pretty shade of red. 

George’s voice became a little muffled as if he were putting something in front of his mouth. “It was just… It wasn’t that good, not compared to the ideas you’ve had or the stuff you’ve said on stream. God, that whole monologue with Phil was crazy good. On Doomsday.” He was trying to deflect and Wilbur huffed in annoyance. 

He found himself arguing back with a cheeky grin on his face, warmth filling his veins. Their discussion wandered for a bit and Wilbur found himself relaxing despite the weird situation he had gotten himself in.

* * *

Their call lasted until Wilbur was yawning widely and they had gotten the finer details hammered out; specifically a date for their anniversary because Wilbur was certain one of his family members would ask. By the time they were done, Dream and Sapnap had messaged him 254 times and had started a group call. He rolled his eyes, trying to be annoyed, but ended up joining the call on his phone so he could pack for the week-long excursion he found himself going on.

“Finally!” Sapnap yelled as he joined the call. He found himself rolling his eyes again but smiled anyway.

“What? Are you that desperate for my attention?” He could hear Dream laugh from his side of the call. George pocketed his phone, earbuds set in his ears as he dug around in his closet for his luggage. He grunted and pushed past some of his hoodies and nice shirts, frowning at the empty space where his suitcase _should_ be. “Where did I put my suitcase?” He grumbled to himself.

Dream laughed before asking, “Is it not in your closet? That’s where you usually keep it.” There was a crunching sound followed by a crinkling. “Why do you need it?” Dream was speaking with his mouth full, earning a disgusted noise from both George and Sapnap.

George huffed and pushed his clothes aside again as if that would make his suitcase magically appear. It didn’t and he kneeled to look under his bed. Cat stared back at him, his tail swishing over the floor, and George peered around him. No suitcase. Dream’s question going unanswered didn’t sit well with his friends and Sapnap spoke up. “Dude, why do you need it so badly?” He pushed and George found himself sighing.

He didn’t quite know how to explain this situation and briefly considered lying, but that wouldn’t get him far; these two knew him as well as he knew himself. Too many late nights spent quietly talking or phone calls where one called the other two in tears made lying a bit hard. He also knew that they would think what he did was a stupid decision. Truthfully, it _was_ but the idea of one of his friends going home and having essential parts of him being pushed to the side like old leftovers didn’t sit well with him. He wasn’t a stranger to homophobia and knew full well the feeling of being an “exception”. 

“I- Wilbur needed some help with something so I’m going to go help him. I’ll be gone for a week or so.” He decided on, keeping it purposely vague. He crossed his fingers as he pushed open his door to go check the small hall closet he had. There was a long pause and he knew that they wouldn’t accept that explanation, but he couldn’t help to try and get them off of his back. In another world, this would work. Maybe a few years ago, they would have just not commented or decided that it would be too nosy; but this wasn’t a different timeline and George was stuck with two nosy best friends who knew every aspect of his personal life to an embarrassing amount. 

Sure enough, Dream scoffed in annoyance. “What does he need help with that takes a week?” George winced a little, absentmindedly humming as he pushed open his hall closet. He nudged aside his vacuum and frowned at the sight of his black suitcase, sitting innocently where it definitely was not supposed to be.

“Just some stuff. Also, my suitcase was in the hall closet.” He pulled it from where it was tucked behind his cleaning supplies, hauling the case back to his room and throwing it onto his bed. In his ear, Sapnap muttered something like _“Why was it there?”_ and it wasn’t like George knew why. The zipper got caught like it usually did but soon he was putting his nicer t-shirts and not as worn-out jeans in the bag. He did pack some sweatpants and enough hoodies to last him way longer than he needed as well as socks and underwear. He threw in a few sweaters as an afterthought. “Should I pack formal clothes?” He asked out loud.

“Why would you need something formal?” Sapnap pushed and George suddenly despised the fact that all three of them were usually on the same train of thought. A shared brain cell, one may say. It seemed that Dream and Sapnap were being equally pushy tonight, a coordinated attack against him that he didn’t appreciate. “Going out on an actual date with him this time?” Sapnap teased, words more confident than they would have been a few years ago when George was struggling with his sexuality. If there was one thing that George was glad for, it was that his friends had not cared when he admitted he was gay. 

It had been late at night, on a call that they really should not have been on seeing as both Dream and Sapnap were still in school and George had class the next morning. They had been too wrapped up in coding something, in George’s case, and too busy playing round after round of Bedwars, in Dream and Sapnap’s case. They had been friends for a couple of years (4? 5?) at that point and George had been so sleep deprived, his ability to rest destroyed by his friends across the sea and his stress about being in the closet. When he had said that, they had gone silent and George felt real _fear_ seep into his very being. At least until Sapnap had hummed. “Mkay, thanks for telling us, man.” is what Sapnap had said, and Dream had echoed the sentiment.

It hadn’t been George’s strongest moment, but it wasn’t the first time he had burst into tears on call in front of them.

“Well, I don’t think so but, uh, we’re going to his parents’ house. Shouldn’t I bring something just in case?” He asks and blinks a few times in shock as Dream begins choking on whatever snack he had been munching on at that time. He cringes and starts to ask if his friend is okay, but is cut off.

“His parents’ house? _George?_ ” Dream demands with equal confusion from Sapnap.

“Calm down, you two. It’s just…” He trails off, unsure about how to phrase this properly. They don’t speak up and there’s just the slight white noise of a Discord call falling silent. He fidgets awkwardly before picking out two nice button-ups and black slacks, as well as his nice shoes and a _belt_. He couldn't remember the last time he wore a belt. “It’s complicated.” He decides on as he neatly folds his formal clothes and puts them next to the half-packed suitcase.

Dream sputters a little more, voice closer to his mic than he had been before. “Uh, you think? Why are you meeting Wilbur’s parents?” He asked and George found himself hesitating again. There were lots of good parts to being friends with these two, but this was one of the bad parts; over-protectiveness. Not that he was much better when they went on dates or being dumped, but that wasn’t the point. 

He unfolded and refolded his slacks, fingers firm on the scratchy fabric. “Well, like I said, it’s complicated.” He started, unsure of where he was going with this. He earned two, simultaneous hums and there was another crinkle of plastic from Dream’s end. “So, it was after Tommy’s stream earlier and everyone left the call and I was going to but Wilbur said something and he sounded really upset so I hung around.” There was only so much he could say, even though he knows Sapnap and Dream wouldn’t say a word to another soul. It just wasn’t his place.

“We talked and he mentioned that he needed someone to bring home for his family to sort of realize that he was serious about being bi and I-” He cut himself off as both of his friends groaned. “ _You didn’t…_ ” was said at the same time as “ _Wow, this is cheesy..._ ” and he wasn’t quite sure who said what and he returned their groan of frustration. “I know, it’s dumb, it’s just… He’s my friend and I care about him and you both know I’ve been in a similar situation.” He rubbed a face over his hand.

Sapnap sighed. “So you’re... What? Going to go with him and play his boyfriend?”

“Maybe.”

“Dude…” Sapnap’s voice held a weird sort of emotion and George wasn’t sure if it was disapproval or exasperation. He shrugged to his empty room as if they two could see him from their house on the other side of the Atlantic ocean. “Is that gonna, like, fuck with you?” Sapnap asks and he laughs with a shake of his head. He crosses back to his dresser and pulls out a handful of socks.

“No, what? We’re just friends and faking being in a relationship isn’t going to change that.” At least, he hopes so. It’s not like they have crushes or anything or that he’s doing this to make Wilbur think of him in a romantic nature. He’s stated his reason and he’s made up his mind, even if Dream and Sapnap clearly dislike this decision. He just didn’t want Wilbur to have to go home and be miserable. Wilbur was a good friend of his, he wanted his friend to be happy. If playing the doting boyfriend was what it took, then that was what it took.

Sapnap made a soft “ _Ah_ ” noise, dragging the noise out for a moment in thought. Even though they weren’t voice calling and his phone was in his pocket, he still felt as if Sapnap was dissecting him and his movements. He jammed his socks into the netting of the suitcase in retaliation. “M’kay George, but are you sure? Like, what if they say something nasty?” He rolls his eyes fondly at the concern in his younger friend’s voice. 

He goes to speak and reassure Sapnap that yes, he thought this through and that he could handle himself, he was 24 and wasn’t a teenager, when Dream spoke up. “Yeah, um, I really think this is a bad idea.” He huffs and Dream scrambles to explain before he starts to argue. “Listen, think about it. You’re going to have to act like the boyfriend of one of your friends around people you don’t know. You don’t think, I don’t know, that it’s gonna mess with your head a bit?” The air felt heavy and George considered it for a moment.

He considered the fact that he would most likely be dealing with homophobes and that he would have to be there to support Wilbur; he also considered that he would be there to help protect Wilbur from the harsher words that George used to hear. He could be a line of defense against the horribly stereotypical and outright rude questions they could be asked, questions he’s already been asked and knew how to answer. Wilbur was his friend and he didn’t want to see someone he cared about drowning in feelings of inadequacy and confusion because of some rude and ignorant family members he happened to have.

He thinks about it and nods again, softly. “I doubt it. It’s not stuff I haven’t heard or been through before. I’d do the same for either of you in a heartbeat and I have no doubt that Wilbur would do the same for me if I had asked. I want to help him and that’s the fact of the matter.” He stated firmly, not leaving room for them to argue. His friends are silent for a second before there’s the sound of a bottle opening.

“Sounds good to me. I trust you know what you’re getting into.”

“ _Nick!_ ” That was not what Dream wanted to hear, but it made George’s muscles relax. Sapnap snorted, the sound buzzing in George’s earbuds.

“What? Georgie is a big boy, he can handle himself and, if Wilbur or Wilbur’s family pulls any dumb shit, he’ll tear into them… Right?” Sapnap directed the question at him and he laughed lightly.

“Duh, I’m not letting myself get taken advantage of again. We went through that once. If anything sketchy happens, I’ll text you guys, alright?” He promised. Sapnap made a noise of agreement even as Dream grumbled. George sighed again. “Clay, I’m serious. I’m not gonna fuck myself over. It’s not like I’m into Wilbur, this isn’t playing with any crushes or anything. Can you just… trust me on this?” His voice was soft and he found his teeth clamping down on his bottom lip in worry.

Dream took a long moment to think. "Yeah, sure, George.” Guilt pooled in George’s stomach for the rest of the call, their usual dynamic not returning before he admitted he needed time to sleep. Curled up in his sheets, hours later, he stared hard at their group chat, the _WE HAVE SEX (+ Sapnap)_ group chat where they had filled both Quackity and Karl in on the situation. (Not fully, just saying George was going to be gone for a bit.) Both whined and complained before telling him that their messages were open and to keep them updated on if he needed everything.

Even with that, he didn’t like the messages he exchanged with Dream after the call.

_**GeorgeNotFound**  
I didn’t mean to piss you off, but you get why I’m not changing my mind, right?_

_**Dream**  
Yeah I do, even if I think it’s dumb and risky._

_**GeorgeNotFound**  
Risky?_

_**Dream**  
You’re my best friend. I don’t want Wilbur playing with your feelings._

_**GeorgeNotFound**  
You do realize we’re not actually a couple? Will doesn’t even like me in that sense lol_

_**Dream**  
Still, this feels horribly cliche. I don’t want you getting hurt._

_**GeorgeNotFound**  
I won’t, trust me. Think of it like a scripted event on the SMP._

_**Dream**  
This isn’t the SMP, George._

_**GeorgeNotFound**  
I know, but it’s somewhat similar. Just improv. I’ll be okay, Clay. Like Nick said, I can handle myself._

_**Dream**  
Can you?_

He hated that Dream didn't respond to any of his messages after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and before anyone asks, no there's no love triangles and Dream isn't interested in George romantically. I enjoy DNF as much as the next person but I'm not the biggest fan of love triangles, so that isn't going to happen.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, comments and kudos are really appreciated so please don't be shy! I read and try to respond to each one, so don't be afraid to come and chat with me!!


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